Reflecting on the Pidie cases, other than improving immunization coverage, we also need to improve polio awareness in all health service providers in Indonesia. Health workers must be trained to be proactive and report patients who show symptoms of polio. “In case of the 7-year-old patient in Pidie, they complained about their fever on 6 November. On 9 November they suffered from joint pains, then flaccid paralysis. This is a characteristic progression. Yes, the cases were found in Aceh, but all of our provinces carry a risk because our immunization coverage has decreased. As Indonesia had previously eradicated polio types 2 and 3, we must be aware when we see children below 15 suffering from symptoms of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP), which includes fever and sudden weakness or flaccidity within 1-14 days, while they previously suffered no traumas or bumps,” dr. Musthofa said.
The Necessity of Clean, Healthy Lifestyle
Polio spreads orally, i.e. by drinking water contaminated by feces, which in turn contains viruses. The polio virus multiplies in the digestive tract, increasing in number 40,000- 70,000 times in unimmunized children. Left alone, the feces containing the virus can cause polio infection up to the 60 days.
Research shows that 70% of the people infected with the virus are asymptomatic. In other words, they show no symptoms whatsoever and may freely and unknowingly carry and spread out the virus everywhere. 20% of infectes suffer from minor symptoms (fevers, throat pains), 4%-5% suffer heavier symptoms (stiffneck or encephalitis), and 1% suffer from acute paralysis preceded by an extremely painful fever.
To confirm whether the polio virus has truly circulated in the Pidie case, dr. Musthofa declared that house to house screening will be performed in at least 200 homes in the region. “The target is collecting feces specimens from children 2-5 years old, so we can check them for the virus in the area and determine circulation.”